Matthew Amt wrote: | Philip Dyer wrote: | If he acting as light calvary yes, but at least I've understand of heavy calvary, they are really designed to create gaps in enemy formations, hence if they are stopped in the middle of this process, they have high likihood of being surrounded and it not just the gaps in the lower legs armout that is a problem. The haugegon/ haubrek doesn't cling to your upper legs exactly and any calvary man above an infranty man simply by being on a horse, hence a infranty man could very easily go up and over and calvaryman's haubrek and stab into his inner thigns or crotch given the right distance, severing his arteries causing massive bleeding which could led to the calvary man bleeding to death on horseback. Hence a reason that overlap in segmented armour for calvaryman and infrantyman are different. Clavary men are much more likely to face attacks coming from below than above becuase infranty are closer to the ground than they are. |
I think you still have some inaccurate ideas about ancient and medieval combat! Whatever may have happened when cavalry hit infantry (and we're really not certain!), it is pretty clear that the cavalry was in rather close formation. *Assuming* that the horses are head-on to the infantry, anyone on foot would have to leave his place in line and waltz between two very excited stomping machines, each with a trained armored killer on its back. IF you dodge all the hooves, teeth, and weapons, you cannot "easily" hit anything except possibly the horse, since you're probably getting the full attention of at least 2 riders. Even if you are lucky enough to spear a horseman in the leg, the big veins and arteries tend to be on the INside of the leg, which is pressed against the horse. And like Dan said, the groin is protected by the front of the saddle.
And isn't this the same infantryman you said was so afraid to go into battle that he had to be driven forward by his own officers and cavalry? (Not that I agree with that, just sayin'...)
My advice, stay in line and try to prod a horse in the face. That will help get him and the trained armored killer on his back far enough away that you might survive the morning.
DID horsemen sometimes get surrounded by infantry? Sure! And they usually got captured or killed regardless of how heavily armored they were. Or they carved their way out of trouble again, regardless of how heavily armored they were.
Mr. Stockhaus, that's an excellent image! Very clear and convincing.
Matthew |
Calvary by necessity of being on a big wide horse, can never get formation as close packed as infranty, the horse just wouldn't allow it.Also, me look at late medieval and early modern accounts of calvary charging through (rather disorganized,pike squares) so heavy calvary ramming through formation isn't non existence impossibility. Also,that was hypiothetical suggestion on how to deal lackluster troops in a hurry, I wasn't trying to characterizes all troops that way. Also, it does matter how heavily armored you are great deal, especially if you are surrounded because if you are taking of multiple people in 360 degree arch, now matter how good you are, you are probably going to get hit and probably get hit multiple times. Also, depnding in the period, horse where shorter just look at the Bayues Tapestry. Also, it would be very difficult to hit the groin, being such a small target and in horse, but not impossible. Heck, under the right circumstances, you can stab calvary in the groin with a knife. http://guyfy.com/Game-of-Thrones/Game-of-Thro...FULL-RECAP Also, if it is that impossible to land low stab into the upper legs of a calvaryman, why would heavy Western Europeon even use mail chausses in the first place? like one the posters said, it is heavier because it has to cover the upper and lower leg, and as Dan pointed out, mail making is highly specilized skill. I don't all those crusaders and armoursmithes all decided to make garment that is heavier, more expensive, and as ya'll seem to think completely useless and unecessary just becuase it is chainmail. |